Through the Darkness (World at War, Book 3) [Hardcover]

Harry Turtledove (Author)

Book Description

Series: Darkness | Publication Date: March 14, 2001

A young Kaunian girl is forced to remain hidden while her Forthwegian savior braves the rough, Algarvian-controlled streets to earn their keep. The scholars of Kuusamo are no closer to understanding the bloodless magic that may win the war-and time is short. Kuusamo has joined into an unsteady alliance with Lagoas and Unkerlant. No one kingdom trusts another, but they must unite, for it is only together that they can defeat the Algarvian threat.The war is no longer confined to soldiers and sorcerers. Common folk are joining together to fight from underneath their oppressors, whether they be Algarve or Unkerlant. What those farmer soldiers lack in skill, they make up for in dedication. A dedication that will carry them . . . through the darkness.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The third chapter in Turtledove's acclaimed alternate history-fantasy series (after Darkness Descending and Into the Darkness) expands on its WWII framework, providing a vivid portrait of a land torn by the horrors of out-of-control political ambition and magical warfare. Aggressor nation Algarve continues to batter its rivals with magical beams powered by the bloody deaths of thousands of innocent Kaunians. In the meantime, Algarvian ally Zuwayza has offered asylum to those Kaunians who can reach its borders, stirring up old antagonism between Algarve and Zuwayza. Sorcerous scholars in Kuusamo, loosely allied with Algarvian enemies Lagaos and Unkerlant, focus on the potentials of a bloodless but no less deadly form of magic that could be the deciding factor in defeating their enemy. As armies on foot, dragon, behemoth and leviathan collide, Turtledove shows the effects of the ongoing struggle on a cross section of societies, from Kaunian refugees to nobles powerless to say no to alliances with mighty Algarve. Turtledove's clever series impresses with its sheer scope and intricacy. Here he juggles a cast of more than 130 characters, which means readers new to the saga will have to work hard to get their bearings in the first 100 pages or so. Although the pace is slow and myriad details demand constant attention, Turtledove's devoted fans will cheerfully muddle through, as will fans of military fantasy based on solid historical fact. (Mar. 22) Forecast: This title should benefit saleswise by following on the heels of Turtledove's Colonization: Aftershocks (see Forecasts, Feb. 5).
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

As the ruthless armies of Algarve employ magic powered by the blood of thousands of Kaunian prisoners in their sweep across the land, their rivals in Unkerlant seek out allies with strength and magic enough to prevent the Algarians from conquering the world. Modeling his latest fantasy series on the battles and campaigns of World War II, Turtledove (Into the Darkness, Darkness Descending) produces a complex and richly detailed epic of war and magic that should appeal to fans of alternate history and military fantasy.
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (March 14, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312878257
• ISBN-13: 978-0312878252
• Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 4.1 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #868,644 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Harry Turtledove is the award-winning author of the alternate-history works The Man with the Iron Heart; The Guns of the South; How Few Remain (winner of the Sidewise Award for Best Novel); the Worldwar saga: In the Balance, Tilting the Balance, Upsetting the Balance, and Striking the Balance; the Colonization books: Second Contact, Down to Earth, and Aftershocks; the Great War epics: American Front, Walk in Hell, and Breakthroughs; the American Empire novels: Blood & Iron, The Center Cannot Hold, and Victorious Opposition; and the Settling Accounts series: Return Engagement, Drive to the East, The Grapple, and In at the Death. Turtledove is married to fellow novelist Laura Frankos. They have three daughters: Alison, Rachel, and Rebecca.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ignoble beasts..., March 8, 2001

By 

Jeph Gord - See all my reviews

This review is from: Through the Darkness (World at War, Book 3) (Hardcover)

Turtledove, long recognized as the Grand Master of Alternate History, has now firmly established himself as a fine crafter of off-beat fantasy extravaganzas, as well. His sweeping, multi-volume "Darkness" epic retells World War II with a very bizarre twist: the world is not Earth, and magic takes the place of science. Strange though this may sound, it has made for a very fascinating and entertaining series. Military historians will enjoy looking for familiar places and events, while fantasy buffs will find plenty of interesting magical gadgets. And, as long-time Turtledove fans have come to expect, there is a large and varied cast of characters, representing every nation and all walks of life. From these myriad viewpoints, readers are treated to a full view of the war, in all its bloody detail.

In this third volume, the struggle enters its critical phase. Events are taking place that will have a major effect on the outcome of the conflict. Algarve (Germany) gears up for a massive assault on Sulingen (Stalingrad). If they can take this strategically-vital city, the material wealth of southern Unkerlant (Russia) will be theirs for the taking. Meanwhile, down in the Land of the Ice People (North Africa), Lagoan (British) and Kuusaman (American) forces struggle to expell the Algarvians, with massive supplies of cinnabar at stake. This valuable mineral allows dragons to shoot their fiery breaths much further, greatly increasing the air power of whoever posesses it. And in Kuusamo itself, government-backed mages continue to plumb the deepest, darkest depths of magic theory. The further their research progresses, the more astonishing- and terrifying- their findings become. Although some are afraid to continue, no one wants to run the risk falling behind Algarve.

All of this is told with Turtledove's usual blend of action, humor, romance, and suspense. And the horror of WWII is never far away: Algarve continues to sacrifice innocent Kaunians in a savage Holocaust, using their life energy to power deadly magical attacks. Against this increasingly terrifying backdrop, the myriad viewpoint characters must fight just to stay alive. In the conquered kingdom of Forthweg (Poland), Ealstan the bookkeeper struggles to keep his Kaunian lover hidden from the prying eyes of the Algarvians. Far to the east, in Valmiera, Skarnu's guerrilla war with the occupying army places his life in increasing danger. Trasone comes face to face with the sheer determination of King Swemmel's (Stalin's) soldiers as he fights for his life in the blasted streets of Sulingen.

If you've read the previous books, don't hesitate to buy this one. A gripping and detailed flight of (dark) fantasy, it is a most enjoyable way to spend your leisure time.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars World War II, Of A Sort, Continues Apace..., March 7, 2001

By 

Carl Malmstrom (Monument, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Through the Darkness (World at War, Book 3) (Hardcover)

Harry Turtledove continues his (sort of) retelling of World War II in "Through the Darkness", the third book in his World-War-II-as-a-fantasy-epic series. The third book in the series is just as effective - and enjoyable - as the previous two and takes us from the equivalent of early spring 1942 through the winter of 1942-43.

This book covers the continuation of (primarily) the equivalent of the European theater of the war and details the fighting up through this world's equivalent of the end of the seige of Stalingrad - Sulingen in Turtledove's world - by Algarvian (German) forces as well as the Lagoan and Kuusaman (British and American) victory in North Africa and the continuing research by the Kuusamans (Americans) into the the nature of magic (read: The Manhattan Project).

As with the previous books in the series, this one does not parallel World War II exactly and while most of the major countries that fought in World War II are included (the major exception being China), attention is definitely focused far more on Turtledove's equivalents of Germany, France, Poland and Russia than it is on the countries representing America, Britain and Japan. In fact, the Pacific War practically does not exist in the series as the role of China seems to be portrayed by Unkerlant, the Russia-equivalent, and the entire Pacific War is told from the perspective of one character given roughly equal weight with the other people whose stories are told. To put this in perspective, the Poles and the Jews have three characters, the Germans three, the Soviets two, the French two, and the Americans, Finns, Belgians, British and Dutch one each.

As with the previous novels, the story of the war is told through each of the characters and many important events are either lived through or mentioned as background information, depending on whether or not he has a character in the appropriate location. The characters are all pretty standard for this style of story (the Darkness series is very similar in style to the Worldwar series and the Great War series) and while entertaining, none of them have great depth. The real fun of the story is in comparing the story to the actual history.

I, for one, learned a fair amount of history after reading this book, much like I did after reading the previous two. If anything, it reminded me how little I knew of the European Theatre of the War and has definitely given me the incentive to read more about World War II - which, after all, may well be Turtledove's point in writing the series. He certainly does a good job of presenting World War II from a nontraditional viewpoint and definitely reminds us that not everyone that fights for an evil cause is evil - or that everyone that fights for a good one is good.

On the whole, I definitely recommend giving this series a try. While I regret the fact that so little attention is paid to the equivalent of the Pacific side of the war - the history of the Pacific War is every bit a fascinating and terrifying as the European War - it's definitely a worthy read. If you haven't read the previous novels already (Into the Darkness and Darkness Descending), though, I definitely recommend picking those up first.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantasy WWII Book III, May 6, 2003

By 

Nathaniel H. Biggs "The History Guy" (Long Valley, NJ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Through the Darkness (World at War, Book 3) (Mass Market Paperback)

This book is the third installment of Harry Turtledove's World at War Series in which a fantasy world of magic and dragons is plunged into a scenario along the same lines as our own Second World War. Most of the same characters return for this volume and the same plot lines are continued.

At this point in this series, you are no longer reading these books if you don't like the plot or the characters. Personally, I find the characters engrossing and the plot line interesting. While it is sometimes obvious how a plot will play out because of knowledge of WWII it is interesting to see how Turtledove makes it work in a fantasy setting and what characters he looses or gains along the way. I am particularly interested to see how the "Manhattan Project" plot line ends. Some other readers complain about the large number of characters involved and keeping them straight, Turtledove does a good job of reminding us who is who and I find I don't have any trouble with it. This book pretty much parallels the events of 1942 into 1943. I would advise against reading this book unless you have read the first two books in the series.

To be honest, I started this series only planning to read one book as a break between some other non-fiction that I was reading. I have not been able to put down the series since, every week I go back to the bookstore (we won't mention which one since it is a rival!) to buy another book in this series. I don't plan on stopping until I have read all these books (two more, so far) and then I will anxiously await the next book.